The History Lady turns passion and compassion into a life serving calling

With a passion for history and a heart-felt compassion for the elderly, Jeanette Alessio-Way’s life took a dramatic turn from a strong 30-year career in tourism to engaging and entertaining seniors in care facilities. Now, nearly 20 years later she is known as “The History Lady.”

Her historical journey began when her mother, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s changed her way of life and thinking forever.

With a passion for history and a heart-felt compassion for the elderly, Jeanette Alessio-Way’s life took a dramatic turn from a strong 30-year career in tourism to engaging and entertaining seniors in care facilities. Now, nearly 20 years later she is known as “The History Lady.”

Her historical journey began when her mother, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s changed her way of life and thinking forever.

At the same time of her mother’s diagnosis, her father was diagnosed with the worst case of depression, so her brother took over her father’s responsibilities and she took care of her mother. At first, things were fine and she was able to take her mother to work with her every day. But the time came when that was no longer possible and she placed her mother in a nursing home in Lemon Grove. She said this was heartbreaking and she visited her mother every night for four years.

“I could see that these poor folks would just sit around at night and look at each other and there was no stimulation,” she said. “I thought I don’t sing and I don’t dance so what am I going to do? So I got two hula skirts to go around me, a coconut bra to go over my blouse, my custom surfboard and ukulele and did the history of Hawaii. I had been there 14 times. They were just glued to me and that was the beginning. The Sun and Sea Manor in Imperial Beach, with 32 Alzheimer’s patients, was the first to hire me.”

Alessio-Way said it was an incredible place, and all they knew and waited for was the lady that tells the stories.

“They function at their own level, but they function just like the people I am seeing today,” she said. “It is amazing. I never understood why God gave my mother Alzheimer’s, because she was just the best. But this would have never happened if that hadn’t happened.”

Now, 72-years-old, Alessio-way does her tours throughout San Diego County and up to Pasadena five times a day. With her cart full of props, artifacts and antiques, she engages her audience with questions, humor and anecdotes, creating an interactive history lesson with many subjects that her audience can relate to as they lived through the moments of history she speaks of. 

“I bring something that represents everything that I am speaking about for that month,” she said. “So for January, some of the subjects I talk about are the Lone Ranger’s birthday, FDR’s birthday, and national oatmeal month. It’s like putting all of the pieces of a puzzle together and I have material that relates to every month of the year.”

In 19 years she has never repeated a program and said she is constantly buying more objects, artifacts to the point that people believe in the program so much, they donate.

“You can’t believe the things they donate,” she said. “They feel it will just sit in a closet and this way thousands of people in a month will get to experience it.”

The History Lady never uses notes and relies only on memory. Now with the help of a part-time assistant, she has help “putting the pieces of the puzzle together.” It has been an education for her, but she said she loves what she does and the journey has been as fulfilling as the work she does with seniors.

“I started this with no money,” she said. “Zero. I would go to thrift stores and every time I went to a place there was an object there for me to find—like a miracle. Now I deal with one private dealer and two other antique stores and the Indian store in Vista.”

Last year she spoke for the El Cajon Centennial and picked her subject matter on the Kumeyaay women today and 100 years ago.

“I got to go to the Barona History Museum and meet with Sister Josephine Romero,” she said. “She is one of the elders and I saw her twice. I learned more from her about growing up in Lakeside and Barona, and what her life was like. It was probably the best talk I ever gave and I had artifacts to go with it.”

Her favorite Indian store in Vista recommended her to a group at Camp Pendleton where children go after school, so she going to be doing a talk on Native Americans. She said it is going to be a gift that she is giving to Camp Pendleton for “what they do for us.”

Alessio-way said she is told that she is the only person in the country that does what she does.

“I am so proud of what I do,” she said. “People come in one by one. Some people are very bright and highly functioning and others are borderline.”

Though Alessio-Way’s primary focus is engaging with senior citizens living in retirement communities, nursing homes and Alzheimer’s facilities, she has branched out speaking with children in schools and libraries and professional organizations. 

Still continuing her history talks with each month’s theme, she created a 12-DVD that is available for purchase at her website and is willing to customize a program for any group that inquires her services. 

To find out more about “The History Lady” visit www.thehistorylady.com.